Tamperproof closure seal



Feb" 25, 19336.

s. GRAUER TAMPERPROOF CLOSURE SEAL Filed Dec. 17, 1954 INVENTOR.

5 O/om on rau er W M ORNEYS.

Patented Feb. 25, 1936 UNlTED STATES PATENT OFFICE 6 Claims.

The invention relates to seals of the type which is employed. withvarious closure devices for indicatingihe initial removal of the closuredevice from its container. The invention has for its main objects toprovide a seal which can be used and inexpensive construction. These andvarious other objects and advantages Will be readily understood from thefollowing description and from the accompanying drawing of preferredembodiments of the invention in which, however, modifications may bemade without departing from the scope of the appended claims. In thedrawing 1 Fig. 1 is a fragmental, front view of a flask to which theinvention has been applied;

Fig. 2 is a side view of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view, taken on line AA in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a top view of the tamper-proof seal;

Fig. 5 is a front View of the seal as it will appear after the closurehas once been removed from the flask;

Fig. 6 is a front view of a jar to which the seal has been applied;

Fig. 7 is a modified adoption of the seal;

Fig. 8 is a fragmental view of an ordinary, cork-stoppered bottle towhich the seal has been applied;

Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view of a bottle neck showing a modificationof the construction shown in Fig. 3; and

Fig. 10 is a top view of the seal shown in Fig. 9.

Referring first to Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive, the neck of the flask isshown at I0 and the cap at II. A recess I2 is formed in the neck. Inthis recess two shoulders I3 and I4 are formed. Two flat surfaces I5 andI6 are also formed in the recess. The seal consists of a semi-circularspring member I'I provided at its end with hooks I8 and I9. The seal isalso provided at its center with an upwardly extending arm 2!]. Asshown, the seal is inserted in the recess I2 with the hooks engagingover the shoulders I3 and I4 and with the arm 20 extending upwardly. Theextreme end 2| of the arm is bent in over the cap II The point at whichthe seal proper and the arm 20 is connected is weakened, as shown at 22.

To attach the seal in the recess pressure is applied at the pointsindicated by the arrows in Fig. 3. When this pressure is released thehooks I8 and I9 engage behind the shoulders I3 and I 4. Once the sealhas been inserted in this manner it is impossible to remove it. As thearm 20 extends upwardly with its extreme end 2| projecting over the topof the cap, it is impossible to remove this cap without bending the arm.When this is attempted the arm will break off due to the weakening ofthe connection between the arm and the seal. Thus to remove the cap itis necessary to break off the arm, this immediately indicates that thebottle has been opened. When the seal is used on bottles or flaskscontaining alcoholic liquors, where a revenue stamp is required, therevenue stamp 23 may be placed under the arm and the seal, as shown inFig. 1. Fig. 5 shows the seal after the arm 20 has been broken oif, thesmall crosshatched part 24 indicates the former connection between theseal and the arm.

Referring now to Fig. 6, in which a jar is shown at 24 and its cover at25, in this instance a similar seal 26 is employed and the arm 21projects over the cover as in the case just described. Here again thejoint 28 between the seal and the arm has been weakened so that the armmust be broken off before the cover can be removed.

In Fig. 7 a bottle neck is shown at 29 and a cap at 30, while the sealis shown at 3|. In this instance the arm has been dispensed with but aflexible tape 32 is secured to the bottle cap with its loose end underthe sea]. In this case, when the cap 30 is removed the tape 32 has to bewithdrawn from under the seal and cannot be put back under this sealonce withdrawn. Thus the disengagement of the tape from the sealdiscloses that the bottle has been opened. It is evident that therevenue stamp pasted over the cap might serve in place of the tape 32.In fact any instrumentalities which may be secured to the cap and heldunder the seal would indicate the opening of the bottle once the cap hasbeen removed.

In Fig. 8 a bottle neck is shown at 33, an ordinary cork-stopper at 34,the seal at 35 and the arm at 36. In this instance the arm 36 has to bebroken from the seal before the cork can be extracted.

In Figs. 9 and 10 a slightly modified construction is shown. In thiscase a recess 31 is formed ing engagement when theclosure device is reinthe bottle neck 38 and thisrecess terminates at itseend in two sockets39 and 40. The seal il, instead of being provided with curved hooks asshown in Fig; 4, is provided with two inwardly bent prongs' l and 43.These prongs engage in the sockets 39: and 40 and effectively secure theseal in the recess. The seal is provided with an upwardly extending arm44 as in the previously described case.

In addition to the manner in which the seal is held in the recess, itwill be noted that the seal itself is entirely contained within therecess and that the seal is substantially of the same size as the recessso as to practically fill it. Thus it is impossible to insert anyimplement between the edges of the recess and the seal to pry out theseal. Once the seal has been snapped into the recess it cannot beremoved without destroying the bottle.

From the foregoing it will be seen that this seal may be used with anycontainer in which a recess can be formed and on which a cap is used andthat it efiectively discloses the initial removal of the cap fromthe'container.

Having described .my invention and its ob jects what I olaim'as' new andwish to protect by of the spring member being substantially the same asthe shape of the recess; prongs provided at each end of saidspringmember and. adapted to engage in sockets formed in the ends of therecess; and'the spring member adapted to clamp a member secured to theclosure device of the container in such'amannerithat this member will bewithdrawn from the clamping engagemen't when the closure device isremoved from the container.

2. In combination with a container having a closure device and "a recesslocated transversely a distance below said closure device and extendingsubstantially haifjway around the circumference of the container; atamper-proof seal of substantially the same size and shape as the saidrecess and of a lesser thickness than the depth of the recess; prongsprovided at each end of said seal and adapted to permanently lock insockets formed in the ends of the recess; and the seal adapted to clampa member secured to the closure device of the container in such a'manner that this member will be withdrawn from the clampmoved from thecontainer. i

In combination with a container hav ng a closure cap and a recesslocated transversely a distance below said closure cap and extendingsubstantially half way around the circumference of the container; a sealof substantially the same size and shape as the said recess and of alesser thickness than the depth of the recess; theerids comprisof saidseal bent inwardly towards each other; sockets formed atthe ends of saidrecess in which the bent ends of the seal are permanently locked whenthe seal is inserted in the recess; an upwardly extending arm associatedwith the said tance below said stopper and extending substantially halfway around the circumference of the container; a seal of substantiallythe same size and shape as the said recess and of a lesser thicknessthan the depth of the recess; the ends of said seal bent inwardlytowards each other; sockets formed at the ends of said recess in whichthe bent ends of the seal are permanently locked when the sealisinserted in' the recess; an upwardly extending arm associated with theseal and having its free end bent over the stopper to prevent itsremoval; and the connection between V the. seal and the armsoweakened'that the arm will be broken ofi when bent to enable thestopper to be removed from the container.

5. In combination with a container having a closure device and a recesslocated transversely a distance below said closure cap and extendingsubstantially half way around the circumference of the container; a sealof substantially the same size an shape as the said recess and of alesser thickness than thedepth of there-cess; the ends of said seal bentinwardly towards each other; sockets formed at the ends 01 said recessin which the bent ends of the sealare permanently locked when the sealis inserted in therecess; an upwardly extending arm associated with theseal and 7 having its free end bent over the closure device to be brokenofi when bent to enablethe closure device to be removed from thecontainer; and a paper strip secured over the top of the closure devicewith-one of its ends clamped underthe seal in the recess.

6. A tamper-proof seal for containers compris- '40? prevent its removal;the connection between the; seal and the arm so weakened that the armwill verse recess; an upwardly extending arm associated with said springmember and having its free end bent over to engage with the closure de-'rice of the container to prevent its removal; and the connection betweenthe seal and the arm so weakened that the arm will be broken ofi whenbent to enable the closure device to be removable from the container.

SOLOMON GRAUER.

